


Cinematic Doubt

by OrangeyApples



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Multi, Post-Canon, also there's lots of dogs, and a lot of cats - Freeform, fake dating but they're exes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-02-27 05:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18732328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeyApples/pseuds/OrangeyApples
Summary: Tsukishima K.: I need you to pretend that we are in love again.Alternative title: How Far Can We Take A Bet





	1. Tacky Sweater

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so happy to be writing again omg. I hope you enjoy all of this!! It's been a blast to write so far.

“So, how’s your little freckled angel?” Tsukishima Kei returned to the present as soon as Kuroo finished his sappy spiel about his boyfriend of three years. The blond, while he appreciated the fact that his friend was happy, had little to no interest in listening to the other wax romantic for fifteen minutes. There was only so much fond babbling he could handle in one sitting. As soon as he started talking about how cute Kenma was half awake at ten am in the morning, Kei had tuned out entirely – and now, it seemed to be obvious to his friend. The elder had now taken to smirking at him as he watched the other blink a few times.

“Freckled – Yamaguchi? He’s, fine,” Kei managed. He picked up his fork and poked at his strawberry shortcake.

“You two are comin’ up on year four now,” mused Kuroo with a chuckle. “It’s funny. I’ve known Kenma for longer, but you guys took significantly less time to get together! Your boyfriend’s a lot more forward than he looks, that’s for sure.”

Kei could only hum in agreement. It had come as a surprise to him when his friend took him by the hand while they were walking home from school one day, only to kiss him before they went their separate ways. The day after, Yamaguchi had found his tongue and explained his deep-seated crush. They became boyfriends over lunch on the roof, where the freckled boy had insisted on holding his hand throughout the whole meal. It was ridiculous to Kei, but he didn’t dare let go.

Even now he wished he had that hand in his.

“You miss him?”

Kuroo’s voice was surprisingly somber now, and Kei looked back up at him, almost guiltily.

“I – I guess. I hadn’t really thought about it much.” He’d been purposefully keeping himself busy with schoolwork to keep his mind off of the subject.

Kuroo broke into a toothy grin before he laughed. “No separation anxiety there, huh? You’re doing better than I ever could,” he said. “If Kenma were out of town for even a day I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. You gotta wait a week, though. That’s gotta be torture.”

Oh, right. The photography trip. That’s what he was talking about. Kei only shrugged, stabbing a slice of strawberry. “He comes back tomorrow. It’s not too bad. At least now I get some peace and quiet at home.”

“Empty apartments are unsettling,” whined Kuroo. “I think our apartment is haunted. You know Truffle, our new kitty? Sometimes she’ll just, like, stand up in the middle of the night and stare at the corner. One day that ghost’s gonna get me when Kenma’s out, I just know it.”

“Get you?” Kei echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Probably not for long. When they find out how annoying you are, they’ll give you right back.”

“Aww, you’d miss me if I went ghost. I’ll haunt your apartment when I get to limbo, don’t worry. Then I can say hello to your ever-elusive boyfriend while I’m there.”

“Please don’t.”

“How about we go on a double date, then? You, me, Kenma and Tadashi. We can go tomorrow night, when he’s back in town.”

Kei nearly choked on his food. After drawing unnecessary attention to their table, the blond scowled at Kuroo. All things considered, he and the freckled boy weren’t in the best state to go on a double date – or any date. Not like he was eager to tell his friend this; he’d get questions he didn’t want to answer and maybe even an attempt at salvaging something he had absolutely no business messing with.

“I was hoping we could do something…alone,” he said instead. He averted his gaze to watch a waiter walk by as Kuroo leaned forward, curiosity piqued.

“Ohhhhh. Alone.” The way he said it sent a jolt down Kei’s spine. “You want me to fake an injury or something at the end of the night? If you get me some ketchup I can do a really good fake nosebleed –”

“How about I spare you the trouble of that and just not show up at all?” He glared at Kuroo, who whined again.

“Come on, Tsukki! Don’t be like that. I miss you guys! Besides, Kenma and Tadashi really seem to be hitting it off. Kenma leaves the house for Tadashi,” the elder emphasized. “He’d be willing to go somewhere pretty relaxed. There’s this sushi place we go to a lot! Sometimes they have karaoke. That could be fun, right?”

“Maybe to Bokuto-san. Are you sure you don’t just miss doing things with him?” Kei mused. He took a sip of his water with a pointed look at Kuroo. When Akaashi had gone to study abroad, his boyfriend had moved with him. An infamous duo had been separated, which the blond was secretly grateful for. One less nuisance to deal with.

To his surprise, though, Kuroo just shook his head. “I mean, I miss him, but I miss you too. You pretty much dropped off the face of the earth after high school. When was the last time you actually enjoyed yourself?”

“Last night,” Kei lied. He actually hadn’t really enjoyed himself since things started to go sour between him and Yamaguchi, but he could fool himself into pretending that he had fun. “I had a marathon of the Jurassic Park movies.”

“And you’re going to watch them again tomorrow night with Tadashi? Though, if you want to be alone, you probably won’t do much watching.” The blond glared at Kuroo once again as he snickered. People speculating on his love life made him sick. He sighed, putting his fork down.

“I was…thinking about a nice dinner or something. Alone, in the comfort of my own home,” he added. “Maybe I could cook for him. I haven’t thought too hard on it.”

“You could just invite me and Kenma over!” Kuroo exclaimed suddenly. “If you don’t wanna go out, we can just have a nice dinner party! We can be like proper adults. I mean, you just turned twenty-one, right? I’ll see if I can convince Kenma to dress up for the occasion.”

At this point, Kei was just staring at his friend. He just wasn’t going to give up, was he? If he claimed he was getting sick, it would look too suspicious at this point. Kuroo probably would find a way around that too, anyways. With a heavy sigh he eventually surrendered.

“Alright, alright. I’ll – let Yamaguchi know you’re coming over,” he finally said. The grin he got in return made him regret the decision immediately. With the smugness of a cat who’d finally got its prey, Kuroo stood up and patted the blond on the shoulder.

“Great! Can’t wait to come over and see what you’ve done with the place. We’ll even leave early so you two can have some well-needed alone time.” He winked at the younger before pulling his coat on. “Hey, you mind paying for my coffee this time? I’ll get you back later. Thanks, Tsukki! You’re absolutely the best.”

Before ‘the best’ could protest, his friend was walking out of the door now that he’d done what he set out to accomplish. Kei sighed, but nevertheless covered the check. He pulled out his phone as he left, typing up a brief message to someone he hadn’t spoken to in a while.

Tsukishima K.: I need you to pretend that we’re in love again.  
Tsukishima K.: Just for one night.

* * *

 

Love wasn’t the only thing Kei had to fake. The next day was dedicated to rearranging the apartment instead of studying. He and Yamaguchi still technically lived together, despite having ended their relationship a year ago. It was just…easier to stay as roommates instead of breaking the lease. Of course, it was rare that the freckled boy slept over. He typically spent the night at Yachi’s, or with Hinata. It was only when the two of them were busy on the same night that he snuck into the apartment after sundown to sleep in his room.

Kei stood up, looking around said bedroom. Funny, he mused. They had initially planned for this room to just be a guest bedroom when they first moved in. Now, though, it was entirely dedicated to his roommate. That’s what he was now – just a roommate. They didn’t even feel like friends anymore. They just split rent and lived in the same place. That was all.

Now, though, he had to turn things back into how they used to be. Kei wouldn’t put it past Kuroo, or even Kenma, to snoop around the apartment. He had to turn Yamaguchi’s room back into the guestroom, because what sort of couple slept in different beds?

The front door opened with a scratch of keys and a whine of rusty hinges as the blond was moving an armful of posters. He turned to see his roommate staring at him in the front doorway.

It was the first time he’d seen Yamaguchi in a while. He’d only gotten a text from the freckled boy the day before his trip explaining that he’d be out of town. (Not that it made much of a different to Kei; he’d just have no chance of accidentally running into him when he was home.) His ex-boyfriend seemed the same, and yet…he was different. His hair, which he’d been growing out since high school, was pulled back in a ponytail to stay off of his neck. His olive skin seemed to be even darker now, more sunkissed than before. He must have collected even more freckles, which Kei hadn’t even thought was possible.

Even after a long day of traveling, Yamaguchi Tadashi still managed a breathtaking appearance.

Brown eyes regarded Kei, and soon enough they were narrowing at the taller boy. His tired expression turned into one of exasperation.

“Is that really necessary?” asked the freckled boy. He set his bags down and leaned against the back of their couch, watching the blond disappear into his room. “I don’t think we have to go this far for just one night.”

“The devil’s in the details.” After a moment of considering where to put the posters, Kei decided to put them under his bed for now. “We can move everything back when they leave.”

Yamaguchi only scoffed. He hadn’t sounded too impressed before, either, when he called the blond up for clarification about the cryptic texts he’d received. After hearing about how his roommate couldn’t admit to Kuroo that they’d broken up, he’d given a long sigh that sounded like static over the phone.

“So now Kuroo thinks we’re hooking up or something when I get back.”

“It’s just for one night,” Kei had insisted. “We’ll just – fake it for dinner and then they’ll be gone.”

“You know I’ve told Kenma all about our fight, right?”

“If he asks, we can say it was just a hiccup.”

“You know it was more than just a hiccup, Kei.”

Kei remembered shivering when he heard Yamaguchi use his first name. It still left him unsettled every time, even though it had been ages since his ex-boyfriend had used the old nickname.

“Just one night.”

“You owe me,” Yamaguchi had said coldly before hanging up.

Now, brown eyes were watching as Kei moved an easel out from his room.

“You’re paying the rent in full this month,” the freckled boy declared, which almost made the blond drop the easel in surprise.

“What? No, Yamaguchi, don’t be ridiculous. I can’t afford that.”

The brunette hesitated for a moment, pinching his chin. “Fine.” He stuck his nose up. “You’re walking Celica for a week.”

Upon hearing her name, a grey pit bull terrier sleepily padded out of Yamaguchi’s room to watch the pair in the hallway. She’d greeted the freckled boy, of course, when he opened the door, but her excitement was short lived at this time of day. Fondly the brunette rubbed the top of her head before walking towards the kitchen to feed her.

“Hitoka-san’s busy this upcoming week, anyways,” he added. The girl had agreed to take Celica out while Yamaguchi was out of town. Apparently, his ex-boyfriend didn’t even trust him with his dog, which Kei was fine with.

“Fine, fine. I’ll walk her this week.” When he passed Yamaguchi to start dinner, he noticed his roommate nod in satisfaction before he disappeared into his room. Probably to shower and change. “Be sure to dress nicely, but not too nice. Think…think formal-casual.”

The brunette popped his head out the doorway to squint at Kei in confusion. “So…just to clarify, I can’t wear my pajama pants to dinner,” he said, causing the blond to roll his eyes.

“Funnily enough, you don’t need wry comments like that for your outfit, smartass.”

“Whatever you say, King Smartass.”

Kei’s grumbling was drowned out by the sound of an angry knife chopping green onions. This would probably be more difficult than he’d previously anticipated.

* * *

 

“There he is! The most well-traveled man in this apartment complex.”

Kei heard Kuroo before he saw him. He heard the strain in Yamaguchi’s voice as the other was, no doubt, squeezing the life out of his roommate in a hug.

“Kuroo, it’s – great to see you, as always –”

When Kei looked up from the counter he nearly jumped back when he met the cat-like gaze of Kozume Kenma. Jesus, when did he even come in? He hadn’t heard him walk in or anything. After a moment of quiet but disdainful staring, the older eventually stepped back to watch Kuroo and Yamaguchi walk to the living room.

“Tadashi, can we see your photos?” he asked in a soft but curious voice. Immediately the freckled boy’s face lit up in excitement.

“Oh, yeah, sure! I took a lot of landscape photos because everything was just so breathtaking, you know…”

Kei watched as the brunette led Kenma to the master bedroom, where he’d insisted Yamaguchi put his luggage. Everything seemed to be going okay so far; thank god his roommate was being such a good sport…

“Sorry, that’s about as dressed up as I could get from Kenma,” said Kuroo, who was taking his jacket off with a grin. “He still looks nice, though, right?”

“I mean…I guess? It’s not like this is a black-tie event. It’s just dinner.”

Kei hadn’t even been paying attention to what the bottle blond had been wearing; he’d been too distracted with Yamaguchi. Despite the jabs, his roommate was dressed rather nicely for the date. He wore a nice t-shirt and light jacket with some jeans, and he had his hair in a half-up half-down sort of look. It was simple, it was nice ---

It was completely and utterly Yamaguchi.

“The sweater was pretty cute, huh?” When the blond looked back at Kuroo, he noticed that the other was puffing his chest to show off his own sweater, grinning. Kei gave him a quizzical look, studying the print on it. A cat in shades. _Feline fine_ in glamorous cursive text above it. Why was it so familiar--?

“You have matching sweaters,” he said in realization, which made the dark-haired boy cackle.

“It’s great, right?”

“They’re not even couple themed.” Then again, though, maybe that was for the better.

“I couldn’t find any that were couple AND cat themed. It’s still couple goals, though.” Kuroo glanced at the window behind Kei as it lit up with lightning, followed by thunder a few seconds later. “Did you hear about the storm coming in tonight? They were sounding pretty serious about it on the radio. If you’re thinking about a movie later on tonight, you could put on a horror film and get him all nice and scared for a cuddle or something.”

The blond rolled his eyes. “We’re not on our first date,” he told Kuroo, though it did sort of feel like one. It wasn’t even real, but it was the first date they’d had in a while. “Besides, he doesn’t get scared by most movies nowadays.” He wasn’t sure when his old friend had gotten over his fear of zombies and the supernatural. Now, it was only Kei who had to sleep with the lights on after a movie like that.

“Yeah, Kenma isn’t really fazed by those movies either,” said Kuroo, propping his chin on his hand. “We were watching some zombie movie the other day, and he just laughed during the really gruesome moments.”

“To be fair, that movie was poorly produced. You could see hands in the frame throwing guts around.” Kenma’s calm voice was the only thing that alerted Kei to his sudden reappearance, and he had to set his knife down with a surprised curse to keep himself from almost cutting his hand off. In contrast, Kuroo just grinned at his boyfriend.

“It was good though, yeah?”

“It wasn’t even bad enough to be considered good, Kuroo.”

“Oh my god,” Yamaguchi said suddenly, “I just noticed your sweaters. That’s—”

“Adorable?” Kuroo slung an arm around Kenma’s shoulders, bringing his exasperated boyfriend into his chest. Yamaguchi made a doubtful noise.

“Not the word I’d use,” he said. “More like, almost tacky. You guys look like really good friends.”

“We’re good friends in love!” protested the dark-haired boy. “I’m _feline fine_ when I’m with him.”

“That reminds me of when I bought matching sweaters for me and Tsukki.” Yamaguchi glanced at Kei, giving him a curious but threatening sort of look that sent an uneasy chill down his spine. “They were Christmas sweaters, but I thought they were pretty cute. Should I go and get them--?”

“What is this, a tacky sweater party?” grumbled the blond, though his heart gave a surprised flutter in his chest. Yamaguchi remembered those, of course. Why did that soothe his soul so much?

“Well, if you take any longer with the food, it’ll be a breakfast party.” The freckled boy’s voice was teasing but light, like how it used to be. He walked around to the other side of the bar and grabbed two plates of food. His cologne, sandalwood scented, seemed to overtake Kei for a moment as his ex-boyfriend carried the night on.

Yamaguchi was certainly carrying the rest of the conversation during the meal, talking about his trip mainly. Kei had almost forgotten how excited the freckled boy looked when he spoke about photography. Vaguely he remembered a time when they were dating when Yamaguchi explained every term to him, from field of view to aperture. It had been after one of his first photography classes, and he’d been so excited when he came home that there was almost no preamble before he was spilling this new knowledge. Kei remembered kissing Yamaguchi in the dim glow of the fairy lights they’d had up in their room once upon a time, which made it feel even more like a fairytale.

For the most part the blond was quiet during dinner, content to just listen to his ex-boyfriend talk with the other couple. Kenma didn’t speak much, but when he did, Kei was surprised at how thoughtful his responses were. He knew a lot more about his roommate than he let on, mused the blond. Yamaguchi even handled Kuroo’s sly comments with a confidence he’d developed in his senior year of high school, hinting at a relationship that didn’t exist anymore. The banter was well-natured but mysterious, which surprised and delighted Kei’s volleyball mentor. While he appreciated how his roommate was playing things up, he simultaneously hoped it wasn’t too much. He noticed the confused glances Kenma was flashing at his friend, who shrugged it off. No doubt the two would talk about what went down earlier, but that seemed inevitable. The blond was sure that Kenma had villainized him, or he was at least not terribly fond of him. As long as this night went by alright, though, he didn’t care about what happened next.

Kuroo seemed convinced, and he wasn’t the only one. As the night progressed, Kei was witness to Yamaguchi’s natural glow once again. That was the only way he could describe it. The sound of his laugh, the light touch of fingertips on his arm, even the all-knowing smile he flashed the blond --- he’d missed them all. They made Kei relax, and for a moment he was convinced that his boyfriend really was here. He was teleported into an easier time, when he would enjoy an evening on the couch with Yamaguchi and just…hold him until they both fell asleep. His body – no, his _soul_ – was finally relaxing, almost unwinding from a long day of work.

He was almost convinced that this break was temporary, and finally over. Things could finally be like they used to.

And then the power went out.


	2. 500 Yen And A Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, a bet is born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second chapter!! I'm not sure how long this fic will be, but enjoy this while I finish up my second college semester!

“It’s just for one night,” Kei whispered to Yamaguchi later on in the kitchen.

Yamaguchi opened his mouth and closed it again as his brow pinched. Despite his pensive expression, his face was still soft in the warm candle light. The power outage was only one of the startling results of the storm above them. It was in full swing now; when Kuroo opened the door earlier he was nearly pushed back inside by a ruthless gust of wind. All parties agreed that no one was leaving quite yet. The question now turned into how long Kenma and Kuroo would be staying. No one had been planning for a sleepover, yet no one knew when things would possibly be letting up. After all, the flash flood was in action until 2 am, predicting five hours of intense conditions. He knew Yamaguchi would feel bad for trying to force the pair out, but if they stayed it would mean an extended act.

Of course, at this point Kei was hoping to keep the façade going, but he wouldn’t admit this out loud.

“You can tell me whatever other demands you want later,” he promised, noticing how his ex-boyfriend was getting huffy again as it dawned on him that they’d have to continue the lie.

“Your pride comes at an expensive cost,” grumbled the freckled boy; a roundabout way, seemingly, of him agreeing to the terms. Kei only shrugged as he readjusted his glasses.

“Aren’t you glad I rearranged the bedrooms?”

“I’m not scared of telling people we broke up, Kei.”

Kei winced a little as Yamaguchi turned around to walk into the living room. Okay, he would be an idiot if he called everything hunky-dory. Still, though, there was a spark of hope which he saw during dinner last night. He saw a glimmer of what could’ve been once upon a time, and he was sure that his ex-boyfriend could see that too.

While Kenma accepted the news nonchalantly, Kuroo seemed excited at the prospect of a sleepover. Soon enough the pair was all settled into Yamaguchi’s room, which was now passable as a guest room. After a click of the door closing, silence filled the apartment.

Yamaguchi disappeared into Kei’s room, with Celica following after. When the blond joined them, he found his ex-boyfriend already assuming his place on the right side of the bed. His pit bull, who was dutifully curled up by his side, perked her ears up when she heard the other enter. So he still preferred that side, then?

“You can change in the bathroom,” said the freckled boy idly as Kei closed the door behind him. He looked up at the other. “Also, you can sleep in the bed if you agree to no funny business. I’ll put up a pillow barricade if I have to.”

“Pillow barricade,” Kei echoed distantly. “Won’t be necessary. I’ll probably sleep on the floor. Knowing Celica, she’ll take up half the bed anyways.”

Yamaguchi cracked a fond grin. As the blond walked to the master bathroom, he looked back to see the freckled boy scratch the top of his dog’s head. He could almost hear a soft _good girl_ as he closed the door.

After going through his nightly ritual, Kei returned to find Yamaguchi and Celica fast asleep. Thunder rolled in the distance, and was accompanied by the soft, rhythmic rumble of snoring as the freckled boy clung to his dog in his sleep. The sight was enough to make the blond smile faintly. Yamaguchi was always the first one to fall asleep between the two of them, and he would probably sleep through the entirety of this storm. He had faint memories of kissing his ex-boyfriend’s forehead before going to bed himself. For a moment he was tempted to do so now---

No. That would be too weird, especially if Yamaguchi woke up. Instead, he pulled his comforter over the pair, and grabbed his blanket from under the drooling pit bull. After a moment of consideration, he left said pillow on the bed. He could wash everything later. For tonight he’d use a spare pillow, and a couple of blankets to make a temporary pallet on the left side of the bed.

“Good night, Tadashi,” said Kei into the quiet bedroom.

* * *

 

In the bedroom just beside them, sleep wasn’t quite underway yet.

“It’s strange,” Kenma was saying as Kuroo climbed into the bed. He frowned up at the ceiling as his boyfriend wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer.

“What is?”

“Tadashi and Kei. Do you think they’re really together?”

“What do you mean?” Now the dark-haired boy’s interest was piqued. He propped himself up on an elbow. “Of course they’re together. You think they’re faking or something?”

Kenma only shrugged. “Based on what Tadashi was saying about Kei a few months ago, it didn’t sound like they were on the best of terms.”

“Maybe they just made up. Couples fight a lot, y’know, even if they’ve known each other forever. You of all people should know that.” Fondly the older pressed a kiss into his boyfriend’s temple. “Besides, there’s two toothbrushes in the master bathroom. Seems to check out, you know?” Still, it seemed that the pudding head wasn’t satisfied.

“Tell you what,” said Kenma eventually. “If it turns that I’m wrong and they are dating, I’ll give you five hundred yen.”

Kuroo raised his eyebrows, and feigned surprise. “Kenma Kozume,” he said sternly. “You’re despicable. Betting on the happiness of our friends? I can’t believe you…only five hundred yen? How about, that and a free meal at a place at my choosing?”

“Only if I get the same if it turns out they’re just faking,” huffed Kenma. Kuroo grinned in the dark of the room.

“It’s a deal, so long as it pleases the Demon King.”

Kenma rolled his eyes. “It’ll suffice. For now.”

* * *

 

The storm had dissipated when Kei woke up the next morning, and he was delighted to find that the lights worked when he flipped the switch. A breakfast of scrambled eggs and waffles ensued, after Kuroo practically demanded it, insisting that it wasn’t a sleepover without the most important meal of the day. While the blond entertained their guests, he caught a glimpse of his roommate wander out of his room. His brown hair was bedridden and unkempt in a way that almost rivaled the old Nekoma volleyball captain. Yamaguchi floated into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Kei’s middle in a hug.

“Tsukki,” he said, voice groggy and full of sleep. The blond’s heart jumped into his throat. “Do you think you could take Celica out soon? She’s getting antsy.”

“Ah…” Kei looked over at the front door, where his roommate’s dog was waiting somewhat patiently. She nuzzled the ribbon of bells hanging from the doorknob and gave a soft whine. It was almost enough to tug on his heartstrings; what got him, though, was the pair of brown puppy eyes that met him when he looked over his shoulder. After a few moments he eventually nodded, setting his spatula down.

“Yeah, let me just – get my shoes on.”

Yamaguchi smiled and nuzzled his nose into Kei’s shirt. He said a soft sing-song _‘thank you, Tsukki!’_ as the blond moved away to find said shoes. Even if they weren’t pretending, he wouldn’t have been able to say no – and Yamaguchi knew it.

_Smug little bitch._

* * *

 

“Kenma’s convinced you guys aren’t dating.”

Kei was surprised to hear Kuroo’s voice from the top of the staircase. He turned to watch his friend come down the stairs, seemingly undisturbed by the feeling of wet pavement under his bare feet. The carnage of the storm wasn’t terrible, and yet the blond was still surprised to see everything in one piece when he walked out with Celica.

“And why’s that?” asked Kei, to which Kuroo shrugged.

“He said something about a fight, as if that would be enough to break you two up. He seems pretty confident about it though; he bet 500 yen and a free meal against you guys.”

Kei was quiet as he led Yamaguchi’s dog down the sidewalk, though he felt a pang of melancholy hit him. _It was more than just a hiccup._ He knew that, and so did Yamaguchi. God, though, how he wished it was just a simple thing they could laugh off. He hadn’t realized how much he’d regret the results of that fight while they were going at it. As always, though, he saw things better in hindsight.

“He must not be _too_ confident if he’s just betting 500 yen,” the blond said aloud. “He’d bet at least 1000 if he’s serious.”

“I’ll let him know you think he’s playing it too safe.” Kei could hear Kuroo’s grin in his voice. Bare feet slapped against the pavement as the older returned to the apartment, probably to relay the message.

* * *

 

When Kei returned from the first of many walks, Kuroo and Kenma were saying their goodbyes to Yamaguchi. The blond stood to the side as the pair walked to the door. Kenma focused a death glare on him, and at this point he wasn’t sure if it was because of things with Yamaguchi or if it was about him essentially calling the pudding head a coward. He kept his expression unreadable, though, even as Kuroo followed after him with a grin and a wink.

The apartment went suddenly quiet as the door closed behind their guests. _Back to reality_. The thought settled in Kei’s stomach like a sudden weight. At this point he could’ve shrugged yesterday off with a sigh and retreat to his room, as he always did. Unsatisfied, but at least he would have the fresh memories in his reservoir to revisit when he needed…

The blond caught sight of Yamaguchi out on their tiny balcony, and he felt his heart twist in a familiar way. Unable to keep himself from following the spark of hope from last night, he ended up joining the brunette.

He wasn’t surprised at all to find Yamaguchi with his camera when he stepped back out into the crisp morning air. If the freckled boy had heard him come out, he gave no acknowledgement of it.

“Yamaguchi,” said Kei.

“Shh. You’ll scare away the bird.”

It was then that the blond noticed the subject of his ex-boyfriend’s photoshoot, or rather the subjects. Yamaguchi had his camera lens focused on a small nest just a few feet away from them, where a hummingbird had perched. Her beak was full of small bits of bark, which she was now dutifully fixing her nest with. The freckled boy’s camera clicked a few times as he gathered pictures.

“Even after all that rain, her nest still held,” said Yamaguchi. Kei was unsure whether he was speaking to himself, or opening the conversation up to the blond, but he didn’t mind. He knew that said nest had kept his roommate’s attention for the past couple of weeks.

“I’m surprised her eggs haven’t hatched yet,” Kei mused. “Hasn’t it been two weeks already?”

“It takes a little longer when it’s colder like this.” After Yamaguchi decided he was satisfied with his pictures he moved to sit in one of the chairs set out on the balcony. He looked up at Kei and raised his eyebrows, as if prompting the blond to speak now that he had the freckled boy’s full attention.

“Thank you, for, um—” Kei found himself stuttering suddenly, and he was scared of frightening the mother hummingbird away with all of this unnecessary noise. _God, just spit it out_. “Playing along last night. I really appreciate it.”

“I was worried I wouldn’t be able to pull it off,” Yamaguchi admitted with a nod. He smiled a little. “Then when I thought about all I’d have you do…and things got easier, you know?”

Kei raised an eyebrow as he watched Yamaguchi cross his legs. After a moment he nodded in acceptance, sitting down. “Okay, sure. Tell me what else I owe you.”

“You have to do the dishes for…two weeks,” said Yamaguchi immediately, lacing his fingers together in his lap. He looked like he was ready to lay down a business proposal.

“Seems doable.”

“And you have to be my own little photography assistant.”

“…expand on that?”

“Oh, you know,” Yamaguchi said, shrugging his shoulders, “you’ll carry all my equipment around on photoshoots and stuff. You’ll help with lighting, and you’ll…basically be like my personal assistant when you’re not busy with school.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too m—”

“Kei. You moved all my shit into your room without my permission and you haven’t moved it back.”

The blond seemed to wither under the glare that Yamaguchi gave him. He looked away in defeat. “Alright, alright. I’ll be your assistant.” He watched his ex-boyfriend sit back smugly in his chair, and he suddenly fixed his gaze back on the other when a thought came to him.

“But.”

This threw Yamaguchi off guard, which Kei seemed to relish. The freckled boy narrowed his eyes at the other.

“But?”

“You have to pretend that we’re still dating when I ask you. It won’t be often,” he added quickly when Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. “Just around Kuroo and Kenma, in case they corner us into another double date. Then you can get all the free labor out of me that you’d like.”

Yamaguchi regarded his roommate with a furrowed brow and pursed lips. Eventually he broke down with a sigh.

“Okay. But I get my room back.”

“Of course.”

“No more dinner dates here.”

“Done deal.”

“I get to choose the movie. If we go on a movie date or whatever.”

“…Okay.”

Yamaguchi leaned forward in his chair, offering Kei his hand. “So, it’s a deal?” A slow smile had formed on his face. Like everything else, it was painfully smug.

“I wish you didn’t make it sound like a business arrangement,” Kei sighed. Yamaguchi’s hand was smooth and warm in his. The freckled boy just chuckled.

“Maybe it’s not as official as that. It benefits both parties, though, so.” He fiddled with his camera for a moment, before looking up to regard Kei curiously. “It’s funny, though. I never thought I’d see the day where your pride was the thing dragging you into helping me with my photography.”

Kei had to keep himself from wincing again. He gave a soft hum in agreement instead, looking down at his lap as he readjusted his glasses. “Yes, it’s…been quite the opposite in the past, hasn’t it?”

“You could say that, yeah.” There was an odd note in Yamaguchi’s voice. It sounded half suspicious, half curious. It was almost hopeful, which Kei immediately clung to.

“Maybe it’s a sign that I…can change?” he asked, looking up at the freckled boy. His own voice was soft and lacked its typical assumed confidence. Yamaguchi seemed to falter at the vulnerability in the blond’s look, at the hopeful twinge in his voice. Kei watched the spark of hope fade in his ex-boyfriend’s eyes as he sighed softly.

“I’m going to need more than this to believe that, Kei.”

Yamaguchi silently gathered his things and stepped back inside, leaving his roommate with a cold reality.


End file.
